Combination-clasp.



.No. 804,905. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

L. WEAVER, JR.

COMBINATION CLASP.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN 4 1905 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINATION-CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed January 4:, 1905. Serial No. 239,607.

To M whom it may concern:

Be it known that LLAFAYETTE WEAVER,J r. a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Clasps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in clasps, and more particularly to a combined Suspender-button, belt-holder, and undergarvention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. i is a detail view showing the spring-socket for the shank of the suspender-button. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the suspender-button. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View showing the undergarmentsupporting device in its open position. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of still another embodiment of my invention. Figs. 11 and 12 are front and rear elevations, respectively, of the devices shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is. a detail view of the suspender-button shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 14: is a detail view showing the spring-socket for the shank of said button. Figs. 15 and 16 are side elevations of different embodiments of my invention in which the undergarment-supporting means is omitted, and Figs. 17 and 18 are similar views of different embodiments of my invention in which the belt-holder is omitted and the undergarment-supporting. devices retained.

Referring more particularly to Flgs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, the numeral 1' denotes a substantially U-shaped plate, made, preferably, from a strip of resilient metal by bending the same upon itself, as shown. Said plate has its two arms 2 and 3 formed adjacent to their inner or connected ends with alining openings 4 and 5, which are adapted to receive the shank 6 of a suspender-button 7. The said opening 4 has its walls slit or cut, as shown at 8, to form a resilient socket, the slits 8 forming spring-tongues 9, which are adapted to engage a shoulder 10, formed in the button-shank 6. The shank 6 is cylindrical in form and has a reduced outer portion 11, which has its extreme end tapered, as shown at 12, and formed with an annular groove 13, located adjacent to said tapered end and forming the said shoulder 10. The reduced portion 11 of the button-shank corresponds in size to the opening 5, through which it is-adapted to project, and the shoulder 10, formed by the groove 13, is adapted to be engaged by the spring-tongues 9 of the socket 4 in order to attach the button to said plate.

It will be understood that the device is attached to the waistband of a pair of trousers or to any other portion of a garment or wearing-apparel by inserting the said waistband or other portion between the arms 2 and 3 of the plate 1 and pushing the pointed end of the button-shank 6 through the alining openings 5 and 4 until the spring-tongues 9 enter the annular groove 13.

Upon the arm 2 of the plate 1 is provided a belt-holding device 15, which, as here shown, consists of a strip of metal which has one, of its ends bent, as at 16, and pivotally connected to the lower end of said arm 2. This connection is preferably effected by slitting the lower portion of the arm 2 to form a centrally-disposed spring-tongue 17 and two side fingers 18, which are bent upon themselves, as at 19, to receive a pivot-pin 20. The pin also passes through the bent portion 16 of the strip 15, and the spring-tongue 17 engages an enlarged portion of said strip 15 to hold the said pin normally in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. This spring-actuated pivotal connection is of well-known construction, and a further explanation is deemed unnecessary. The upper end of the strip or belt holder 15 is bent inwardly, as shown at 21, and is adapted to engage the upper portion of the arm 2 just above the pointed end 12 of the button-shank 6 for the purpose of guarding said end. It will be also noted that said end 12 of the button-shank also tends to hold the belt between the arm 2 and the strip 15.

between two ears 25, which are preferably struck up from the arm 3. The outer or free end of the spring-arm 22 is bent upon itself to form a jaw 26, which is adapted to'project into an opening 27, formed in the lower vportion of the arm 3, when said spring-arm 22 is forced inwardly by a pivoted cam 28, which is mounted between the ears 25 and is formed with a finger-piece 29. It will be seen upon reference to Fig. 6 that if a portion of a garment is inserted between the end of the arm 3 and jaw 26 and the cam 28 is swung around to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the said jaw 26 will force the garment into the opening 27 and securely clamp the same to the arm 3.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings, it will be seen that this form of my invention is more simple than that of the one just described. The arm 30 of the U-shaped plate 1 is formed by stamping out a portion of the latter adjacent to its upper or closed end, as clearly shown at 31 in Fig. 8. This construction permits me to use the remaining portion 32 of said arm 30 of the plate 1 as the belt-holder or strip 15. The latter as here shown is rigid instead of being pivoted, as in Fig. 1 of the drawings; but owing to the resiliency of the plate 1 the belt may be readily inserted between the arms 3 and 32 and lodged between thelatter and the arm 30. The upwardly-bent lower end 33 of the portion 32 will hold the belt in place, as will be readily understood. The construction of the buttonshank 6 is the samein this form of my invention as in the one previously described; but the spring-socket which is formed by the opening 4 is somewhat difierent. As seen in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the walls of said openings 4 are formed with a series of radially-projecting slits 34, which form the spring-tongues 35 to engage the groove 13 in the button-shank 6. The manner of attaching the plate 1 to the trousers or other garment is the same in this form of my invention as in the one first described, the waistband being inserted between the arms 3 and 30 and the button 7 is then attached. To render this attachment more secure, I preferably form the lower end of the arm 30 with an inwardly-projecting spur or jaw 36, which engages the garment, as will be readily understood. In this form of my drawings, with the exception that its upper end 38 coacts with the head of the button 7,

as shown. The undergarment-supporting device in this form is the same as the device 37, (shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings,) and owing to the disposition of the button upon the front of the clasp the said device 37 is at a higher point than the one shown in Fig. 7.

In Figs. 15 and 16 of the drawings 1 have shown two combination devices consisting of a Suspender-button, an attaching means for the same, and a belt-holder. These parts are of the same construction as the corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings, the only diflerence being the omission of the undergarment-supporting devices.

In Figs. 17 and 18 of the drawings I have shown devices consisting of a suspender-button, attaching means forthe same, and an undergarment-supporting means. These parts are also similar in construction to the corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings, the principal difference being the omission of the belt-holder; but in Fig. 18 the undergarment-supporting device or clasp, which is similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, is formed of a separate piece of resilient material and is loosely attached to one arm of the plate 1 or body portion of the clasp. The construction and operation of this device will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings, taken in connection with the previous description of Fig. 1.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clasp of the character described, having spaced arms connected together at their upper ends and forming a space open at the lower end thereof between them for the re-,

ception of the waistband of a garment, a detachable button having a shank detachably connected to and extending through the upper ends of the said arms, said button having its head on the inner side of the inner arm, and a belt-holder-on the outer side of the outer arm, pivotally connected thereto at the lower ICC end, said belt-holder when closed against said outer arm covering the point of the said button-shank.

2. A clasp of the class described, having spaced arms, connected together at their upper ends and forming a space open at the lower end thereof between them for the reception of the waistband of a garment, a detachable button having a shank detaohably connected to and extending through the upper ends of said arms, said button having its head on the inner side of the inner arm, and a belt-holder on the outer side of the outer arm and covering the point of the said button-shank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I5 my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAFAYETTE WEAVER, JR.

Witnesses:

J os. ALLEN POTTS, G. L. MAXWELL. 

